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First post, maybe some advice?

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DementedMindOfJac

DementedMindOfJac

40 Cal
Joined
Apr 24, 2023
Messages
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I been messin' with black powder since childhood. Built a dam across the creek so I could blow it up. It was not a stealthy operation, so my father found out when he heard it explode 150 yds from the house an' saw an enormous cloud of smoke. That was 1982, an' I still feel the thin end of the horsewhip.
I got into flinters like most people do. Because we can't get percussion caps. Recently, I found a banged up Pedersoli Frontier, .50, percussion with the hammer bent to hell. Unusual as it does not have the DeLuxe brass, but has a curly maple stock. Pedersoli says it was a limited run commissioned by Cabelas in the mid '90's. I decided to fix it as a flinter, and long story short, I finally fitted a L&R Ketland lock lest I further disturb the peaceful slumber Pedersoli find themselves in.
I'm always trying to exceed the limitations, and that brings the question.
Currently, I'm trying to semi-consistently hit an acetalyne tank a hair over 300 yds off. When I shoot a patched ball over 90gr 777, I have to Kentucky elevate maybe 10 foot to howitzer them 176gr balls in. Gotta be a better way, so what if I was to sabot a .40 200gr bullet over the same charge? The bullet's a mite heavier, but it's cuttin' much less air. Am I barkin' up the wrong tree in the right forest, or yellin' at the desert?
 

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What's the barrel twist? It may not be fast enough to stabilize the smaller, but heavier 40-cal sabot load. Heavier bullets need a faster twist as a general rule. Couple things ... people are banging away with BP Cartridge 45-70s with heavier bullets and LESS powdah charges, out to 600 to 1,000 yards.

Rather than focus on a large powder charge per se, I'd do some experimentation with load development to also see firsthand what bullet or Minie groups the best.

With that said, to me your sights are your limiting factor. You could fashion a removable rear sight that fits over your existing rear sight, that screws into place as shown, like this one that Brian Anderson had made.

Even bend one up out of mallable steel to see if it works for you! This one below puts me dead on @ 200-yards with a 58-cal Colonial flintlock ... and a roundball load. Although not period correct on a flinter, you could also put a vernier type ladder rear sight off the tang.

Also see what these guys are doing, maybe you could collaborate: Conical Terminal Performance Research



B072F440-86FF-41CC-AB6B-2129B7816314.jpeg
 
This is the standard 1" across-the-flats 38" .50 1:48 ROT Pedersoli barrel. I'm halfway into my wait time with Rice for a molychrome replacement with a .451 bore and a 1:20 ROT, but I don't think I'll be shootin' that afore Christmas. Period correct, shmeriod correct as my new barrel illustrates. Hell, I'd mount one 'em long brass repro scopes on it if'n they weren't flimsy crap. I DO like the idea of a tang sight. Mainly because I have a Soule somewhere and I might find it here soon with my son having reached the rank of Why Are You Diggin' In My Crap.

I understand the sweet spot needed twixt velocity, bearing surface, an' weight to stabilize a projectile, however, I have no frame of reference with large-bore. relatively low velocity projectiles. I'm not even sure how fast the ball leaves the thin end, but I took a gamble an' got a cheap chrony that they say will arrive Friday. I have comin' also a bunch of them plastic sabots for neckin' down a .50 to a .40, so to speak, an' a bunch of .40 200gr cast pistol bullets.

I guess I'm objectin' to the trajectory, mainly. I did not expect the drop to be so severe, and I'm not quite sure if momentum isn't the culprit. Like if you take the .45-70 like you mentioned. Historically, that's a 405gr lead projectile over a 70gr BP charge an' it shoots flat enough for Billy Dixon to knock a feller flat at a range longer'n God's memory. Why is my 176gr ball fallin' like a rock at 300 yds with a 90gr charge? Sure, there's a LOT of energy bled off through the touchhole, but THAT much?

Thanx you very nice for the attachment pic of the clamp sight. I think I have just the thing. I have a patchbox door that might suit nicely with a bit of riggin' an' a jigsaw. Get to use the toy file set somebody give me.
 
DementedMindOfJac said:
I been messin' with black powder since childhood. Built a dam across the creek so I could blow it up. It was not a stealthy operation, so my father found out when he heard it explode 150 yds from the house an' saw an enormous cloud of smoke. That was 1982, an' I still feel the thin end of the horsewhip.
I got into flinters like most people do. Because we can't get percussion caps. Recently, I found a banged up Pedersoli Frontier, .50, percussion with the hammer bent to hell. Unusual as it does not have the DeLuxe brass, but has a curly maple stock. Pedersoli says it was a limited run commissioned by Cabelas in the mid '90's. I decided to fix it as a flinter, and long story short, I finally fitted a L&R Ketland lock lest I further disturb the peaceful slumber Pedersoli find themselves in.
I'm always trying to exceed the limitations, and that brings the question.
Currently, I'm trying to semi-consistently hit an acetalyne tank a hair over 300 yds off. When I shoot a patched ball over 90gr 777, I have to Kentucky elevate maybe 10 foot to howitzer them 176gr balls in. Gotta be a better way, so what if I was to sabot a .40 200gr bullet over the same charge? The bullet's a mite heavier, but it's cuttin' much less air. Am I barkin' up the wrong tree in the right forest, or yellin' at the desert?
Click to expand...
I think 300 yards is stretching it with a round ball. A sabot, real or an improved minie could probably do it. Then all of those would need a fast twist shallow groove rifling for best results. Also running the heavier slugs through a flintlock your going to have increased gas coming out of the touch hole.
 
ronaldrothb49 said:
I think 300 yards is stretching it with a round ball. A sabot, real or an improved minie could probably do it. Then all of those would need a fast twist shallow groove rifling for best results. Also running the heavier slugs through a flintlock your going to have increased gas coming out of the touch hole.
Click to expand...
That's what I think also. I have a .451 1:20 barrel on order from Rice, but I'll only see that around Christmas. In the meantime it's a .50 with a 1:48 twist. Not fast enough to stabe anything longer than pistol bullets, I'm guessin'.

I plan on going to test the difference on Sunday. If all goes as planned I'll chrony a string of patched ball, an compare that to a string of sabots. See if a slightly heavier projectile with a smaller drag footprint will make a noticable difference. The increased pressure from the vent is not a problem since I stopped shootin' left-handed an' setting my beard on fire. I'm not going over 200gr bullet or exceeding 90gr charge.
 
Greetings and welcome from NH!

My old man has one of those Pedersoli Frontier flinters. We tried testing some conical maxi balls in it (320 IIRC), but despite the supposed "intermediate" 1:48 rifling twist they wouldn't group particularly well. It's a round ball shooter, pure and simple. 300 yards is definitely pushing it.
 
DementedMindOfJac said:
That's what I think also. I have a .451 1:20 barrel on order from Rice, but I'll only see that around Christmas. In the meantime it's a .50 with a 1:48 twist. Not fast enough to stabe anything longer than pistol bullets, I'm guessin'.

I plan on going to test the difference on Sunday. If all goes as planned I'll chrony a string of patched ball, an compare that to a string of sabots. See if a slightly heavier projectile with a smaller drag footprint will make a noticable difference. The increased pressure from the vent is not a problem since I stopped shootin' left-handed an' setting my beard on fire. I'm not going over 200gr bullet or exceeding 90gr charge.
Click to expand...
I finished a .45 caliber 1:24 percussion that I finished last fall. It was going to be my hunting rifle but didn't get it done in time last year. Still haven't gotten a chance to shoot it yet. Got 3 molds to try with it. A 250 grn. real, a 300 grn. improved minie and a 350 grn. minie. Was looking for a 400 grn. bullet but think I will hold off on that and see how what I have works. Would be interesting to see how the bullets do in a flintlock.
 

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